System of building construction



June

Filed April 27, 1951 z/ 20 20 llllh 18, 1957 T. H. MILLER SYSTEM OFBUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 "All 1* Hm I v .1 .M m/VT'UF Z9 7THEODORE mum;

5 ENT' June 18, 1957 'r. H. MILLER 2,795,825

SYSTEM OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION,

Filed April 27. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ra. LEA-9? z/EA/TUR THEODORE H.MILLER 5 E-NT June 18, 1957 Filed April 27, 1951 ll'lj 'r. H. MILLERSYSTEM OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 4 Shets-Sheet 3 l/vz/EA/fflF THEODOREamuse A ni/v7- June 18, 1957 T. H. MILLER 2,795,825

SYSTEM OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed April 27. 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4se/v7- bars having the same cross sectional dimensions.

United States Patent SYSTEM OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Theodore H.Miller,"Tigard,0reg.

.Application April27, 1951, Serial No. 223,330

12 Claims. (Cl; 20-4) The invention relates .generally .to theart ofbuilding construction and moreparticularlyto the employment ofprefabricated building .construction .units made up of sheathingmaterial and a plurality of similarkey members hereinafter referred toas ,panels to make various building constructions andthe like.

All. of the key members used in this system are elongated Thecross-sectional shape of each of .the.key members is that .of anisosceles triangle having a right angle between 1ts two equal sides.'The key members are not only-used in fabricating the panels of thissystem butare .also used to combine the panels into wall structuresandto secure the wall structures'in place.

The panels of this system are simple sheets of structural material towhich a framework of key member elementshave been secured to one sideadjacent the edges thereof. The sectional hypotenuse side of the keyelement is secured .to the sheet in making the panel element. The sheetsof which the panel are made can'be any material of which structuralsheathing is commonly made and'would in each instance be made of thematerial best adapted 'to the use of the structure.

The increasing cost of building materials in their traditional forms,together with the growing scarcity of mechanics skilled in traditionalconstruction methods, has necessitated'the development of constructionmethods based on a greater use of prefabricatedbuilding elements andcapable of using materials which are more abundantly available andtherefore of lesser cost. As a result, a great variety of wall sheathingmaterials have been developed and produced in sheet form 'to be usedover building frames of traditional types.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a buildingconstruction in which these prefabricated units can be integrated intothe building structure in a way to eliminate the traditional framingmaterials from "the building walls as well as to simplify theconstruction of coilings, floors, and'the like.

It is a second object of this invention to 'use the key members of thisinvention .to reinforce and outline the rear lfacestof the sheets ofsheathing material selected for the particular use to which they are tobe putin the'building, and thus form the sheathing sheets intostructural panels which can be secured together with similar key membersto form complete Walls Without other'forming materials being required.

:It is a third object of this invention to provide a key member made ofreadily available, low cost, material, :which will be simple in form,easily fabricated, and of .universal use throughout a buildingconstructed according to this system.

It is a fourth object of this invention to adapt these pm-fabricatedpanels and key members to provide any desired :openings in the wallsconstructed in accordance with this system and to provide a simple,low-cost means for securing the desired door or window'frames in suchopenings.

Itis a fifth object of this invention to provide means both simpleand-low in cost for locating and securing in place the Walls constructedin accordancewith this system.

As will be later explained, the finished walls constructed in accordancewith this system will usually be formed of two series of panels back toback. However, the system lends itself toone wall construction or singlepanel thickness wallsas a temporary structure form.

It is, therefore, a sixth object of this invention toprovide a wallconstruction in which one-half or one side of the wall may be secured inplace and the structure enclosed, thereby, thus delaying .the erectionof the other half or side of each wall until such facilities asplumbingpiping and electric wiring are installed .in the inter-wall space.

It is undersood that the key members .of this invention canbe made ofeither metal or wood or other material having the desired structuralcharacteristics and economy of use.

Forsimplicity of description and because the materials are economical'touse and have desirable structural characteristics, 'the'key membersdescribed in the further explanation of thissystemwill be considered tobe made panels to glue the keymembers to the sheathing, while shoulditbe desired to alter a panel in the field, the

key member can be secured'to the sheathing with nails or screws.

How the above andother objects are attained willbe apparent from thefollowing description referring to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a commercial 4 x 4 timber showing-how it can bediagonally sawed'to make four of the pieces shown in Fig. 2.

fFig. 2is a perspective viewof a triangular shaped timber cut'fromsquare luniber as s'hown'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a-perspective view of apiece similar to Fig. 2 but showingtheends mitered inwardly from the wide face of :the piece to itsright'angled apex.

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary-section alongthe line 4-'4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a' perspective view of a piece similar to Fig. 2 but showing.the ends mitered inwardly from the right angled apex to its Widefacedbase.

Fig. 6shows.a.fragmentary section along 'the line 6-6 .of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a'perspective view-of a structural panel made in accordancewith the :system of this invention.

Fig. 8 is a'rear'elevation .of another panel made in accordance with thesystem of this invention.

Fig. 9 is a-rear elevation of yet another panel made in accordance-.with:the system of this invention.

Fig. is a right section through a fragment of a wall having'two of thepanels of this system secured "back to back bythe spring clipsof'Fig. 'l1.

'Fig. M is a perspective view of a spring clip member adapted to'the useshown in Fig. 10.

Fig. '12 is aperspective view 'of a fragment of window or door framewith key members as shown in .Fig. 5 securedto the outer surfaces of theframe.

Fig. 13 is a'perspective .view of .a building fragment showing 'an outerwall corner of a sub-floor on floor joists, and with strips-of the keymembers of Fig. 2 securedto the sub-floor to locate the outer walls.

Fig. '14 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 13 with the addition of afragment of the outer panel of the 'outer wall.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view similar to 'Fig. 1 4 with thea'dditionofa'fragment of the outer panel of the other r I 2,795,825. I

. 3 outer wall at the corner and showing a filler block for securing thewall panels at the corner.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view similar to Fig. with the addition of afragment of the inner panel of one of the outer walls and showing thestructural relations at the corner of the panels and filler blocks.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary section along the line 1717 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary section showing an alternate wall cornerconstruction.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of related fragments of a buildingstructure made in accordance with the system of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, at Fig. 1 is shown a cross section of acommercial standard 4 x 4 timber sawed diagonally to form four strips oflumber triangular in section as shown in Fig. 2. It is to be noted thatin section these strips 20 have one right angle 21, an hypotenuse 22equal to the side of a commercial 4 x 4 timber and a height 23 from thebase hypotenuse to the right angle apex, of one half of the side of thecommercial 4 X 4 timber from which they are made.

To form the various key members of the system of this invention thesestrips 20 are cut to the desired length and mitered at the ends asrequired. For example, the key members are shown mitered in plan at 24in Fig. 13; inwardly mitered from the base in elevation at 25 in Figs. 3and 4; and outwardly mitered from the base in elevation at 26 in Figs. 5and 6. The end face is mitered at an angle of 45 to the hypotenuse face,the line of intersection of the end face with the hypotenuse faceforming a right angle with the edges defining the hypotenuse face. Thetriangular strips 20, with the mitered end faces, cooperate with eachother to form rectangular reinforcing frame structures provided thestrips are so used that their hypotenuse faces lie in the same plane.

Typical panels made in accordance with the system of this invention areshown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. In each case the panel is formed of a fiatsheet of structural sheeting material 27 (see Fig. 7), adjacent theedges of which on one side of the sheet are secured continuous strips ofkey members 28, 29, 30, and 31. These edge members not only reinforcethe panel structurally but are fundamental in this system as a means ofconnecting the panels into the complete building structure. Stripmembers 32, 33 and 34 of Fig. 7 are typical reinforcing elements in thepanel and are placed in number and position as required for panelstrength as well as for backing strips on modular spacing in case it isdesired to finish the panel after erection with another sheathingrequiring such spacing in nailing the additional sheathing to the panel.Members 28-34 are assembled on sheet 27 in a continuous framework tomake up a prefabricated panel.

The number and positions of the additional strips on the panel will varyin accordance with the use of the panel in the structure. For instancethe panel of Fig. 7 might be one with a longer horizontal length andmodular spacing of the vertical reinforcing members, while the panel ofFig. 9 might be one with a longer vertical length, and the panel of Fig.8 might be one with a longer horizontal length with a greater horizontaldistance or span between the panel supports.

Figs. 13 to 18 show the simplicity of wall construction in accordancewith this system. In these it is assumed that a typical house foundationhas been laid and adapted to carry the usual floor joists 35, 36, towhich the sub-floor 37 has been secured. Spaced from the outer edges ofthe sub-floor by the thickness of the panel sheathing the two key memberstrips 38, 39 are nailed to the floor. Outer wall panels 40 and 41 arethen stood up on the outer edges of the sub-floor 37 and the lower edgekey members 42 and 43, respectively, of panels 40 and 41 are nailed tothe wall-locating key members 38 and 39, respectively. Filler blocks 44and 45, equal in thickness to the length of one isosceles side of thesection of a key member strip, and twice as long as they are thick, arethen secured to the vertical corner key member strips 46 and 47 ofpanels 40 and 41 respectively.

Later, when it is desired to complete the outer wall structure by addingthe inside panels of the wall, it is a simple matter to stand an insidepanel 48 on the subfloor 37, toe nail the lower edge of the panelthrough its lower key member 49 to floor key member 38 and toe nailpanel 48 through its vertical edge key member 50 to filler blocks 44 and45.

In Fig. 18 an alternate form of wall corner is shown in plan andillustrates how any edge of a wall constructed in accordance with thissystem can be attached to any flat surface. In Fig. 18 a first wallhaving outer panel 51 with vertical edge key member 52 and inner panel53 with vertical edge key member 54 is finished at its end withadditional vertical key member 55 secured to key members 52 and 54. Thenvertical wall locating key member 56 is secured to inner panel 53 of thefirst wall at the desired intersection of the second wall and the innerpanel 57 and outer panel 58 of the second wall are toe nailed to member56 through vertical key members 59 and 60 of panels 57 and 58respectively. It will be noticed that this method of attaching a wall atright angles to a flat surface is universal in this system whether thewall is attached to the fiat surface at top, bottom, or side and isadapted to the attchment of the wall at any position on the flatsurface.

of such frames to which the wall panels of this system are attached. Itis readily seen that when the one side panels of a wall having a windowor door opening is in place, the edge key members of the panel or panelswhich surround the opening are adapted to abut one face of each of thekey member strips 62, 63, etc. and can be secured thereto. After theframe is thus secured in place, the other side panels of the wall can beplaced and secured to strips 62, 63, etc., thus setting the framesolidly and tightly into the wall and making the frame a structural partof the wall.

Where it is desired to secure one side wall panel to the similar panelon the other side of the wall at an interior point, the reinforcing keymembers of the opposing panels can be supplied with the apex edgesflattened off and longitudinal grooves formed in their isosceles sidesas shown at 64 and 65 in Fig. 10. When one side panel is erected, springmetal clips 66, as shown in Fig. 11, can be pressed into place asdesired on the reinforcing key member of that panel. Then as theopposing side panel is set in place, its opposite key members will pressinto the opposite sides of clips 66 until the tang ends of clips 66engage the grooves 65 of both panels and the opposing panels are securedin position relative to each other.

Additional details of building construction in accord- .ance with thissystem are shown in Fig. 19, which includes fragments of construction ofa building such as a single storied residence. On the foundation wall,partially shown at 67, are floor joists, like 35 and 36, which carry asub-floor 37 to which are secured wall locating key members 38, 39, 68,69 and 70. How inside and outside wall panels 40, 41, 48 and 71 arelocated and erected, and secured at their common corners has beenexplained above. The wall, partly formed of panels 41 and 71,

can be extended as required by adding outside and inside panels such as72 and 73, after first securing vertical key member 74 to the verticaledge key members of panels 41 and 71, then securing vertical key member75 to key member 74, and finally setting panels 72 and 73 in place andsecuring them to vertical key member 75 and floor key member 39.

Similarly, where wall panels and window or door openings are dimensionedin modular units, the wall opening may be bounded by wall units eachmade up of two-opposing panels and the wall units connected with keymembers. For example, in Fig. -19 the window'opening 76 is boundedby-wall units comprising respectively panels-40,

48, panels 77, 78, panels'79, '30, and "a fourth unitnot shown. Wallunits made up respectively of panels 77, 78 and 79, 80 would'beconnected to-the wall unit made of panels 40, 48 above and below-opening76, in thesame manner as previously shown for connecting thewall unitsmade up of panels 41, 71 and 72, 73. At the Window opening key-members81, 8'2, 83 and another member not shown, would be secured to the windowframe (not shown) in the manner described above-'forFig. 12. Then, afterthe outside panels 40, 78, 79, etc., are inplace, these panels wouldbe-secured to key-members '82, 81, 83, of the window frame bynailing-through the panel edge key members 84, 85, 86, respectively. Theinside panels 48, 77, 80, would then be placed'and-secured to keymembers 82, 81, 83 of the window frame by nailing through =the-paneledge key members87, 88, 89, respectively.

Each of the complete walls-would be finished at the 'top with a platekeymember, like 90 or '91 as required.

As previously mentioned, the construction systemof this invention lendsitself tothe rapid enclosure of the entire house by first erecting onsub-floor 37 all of the outer panels 40, 41, '72, 78, 79, etc., securingthe top wall panelsto plate key members 90, 91, etc., and securing thewindow and door opening frames to the outer panels as previouslydescribed. Thehalf thickness walls as thus erected are rigid and-strongenough to carry-the complete roof structure as carried on thewall'platemembers in the traditional way (not shown). house 'is quickly enclosed.All necessary insulation, as

Inthis way, the

Well as electrical and plumbing facilities, can be'installed intheouts'ide walls after the house is enclosed but before the insidepanels of the outside walls are placed in inner panels 48, 71, 73, 77,80, etc., are-secured in placeas above described and in like mannersecured to top wall plate members 90, 91 etc.

To hang the ceiling panels, ceiling supporting key member-strips 93, 94,etc., areasecuredalongthc entire top edge of rthe insidepanels of theoutside walls. Similar strips 95 are secured longitudinally to the underside of each ceiling joist 92. Note that the ends of ceiling joists .92.arenotched upwardly on t-heir lower-edges, as shown at 96, to dropthe-lower surfaces of joists 92 level with the apex .edgesof ceilingsupporting keymembers 93, 94, etc. Ceiling panels 97, 98 are secured inplace by nails or screws from the face of the panel, through the paneledge key member strips 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, etc.

Interior division Walls may be added to the structure as desired. InFig. 19, division wall locating and attaching key member strips 68 and104 show the beginning of a simple wall. Should the plumbing, or otherfacilities required to be enclosed in a wall, be too large to enclose ina single thickness wall, a wall of any required thickness can be builtby using two parallel strips of wall locating and attaching key memberstrips as indicated at 69, 70, 105 and 106.

Having thus described the elements of this invention and the new anduseful system of building construction to which they are adapted, Iclaim:

1. As a component element for use in "building construction, anelongated triangular member having a cross section of substantially aright angled isosceles triangle 6 andhaving'at least one end faced-at anangle of 45 to 'the plane bf the *hypotenuse face of said member, "theline of intersection-ofsaid end 'face with the, hypotenuse "face formingright angles with the edges defining said hypotenuseface.

2. A fabricated rectangular panel for building construc-=tion'comprising a fl-at-rectangularshaped sheet of building 'materialhaving a-continuous'framework of a plurality of jointed triangularmembers having a-cross section the shape of a right angled isoscelestriangle, each of said :members having two mitered end faces, twoisosceles faces and an hypotenuse'face, each-memberbeing fastened at-itshypotenuse face along-and adjacent the periphery of thesheet, an endface'of each member forming a rightangled 'joint withan end face ofanother member, and at least one triangular memberof the same triangularconfiguration-extending transversely across the sheet and having endfacesmaking a 45 angle with the plane ofthe hypotenuse face of-saidmember, the-end "faces forming a right angled joint with the' isosceles-faces of opposed parallelti'iangular members.

3. A'prefabricate'd building construction unit comprising asubstantially retangu'larfiat sheet of buildingmate- -r'i-al having arectangular-opening cut inwardly from one peripheral edge thereof and arectangular framework of :triangular.members'havingin cross section theshape of a rightangled isosceles triangle fastened at their hypotenusefaces tosaidfiat-sheet along and adjacent the peripheral edges includingtheeclges defining the rectangular opening, the'triangular membershaving end faces adapted to form right angled joints about saidframework, each of said end-faces making an angle of 45 with the planeof each'of the hypotenuse faces, the line of intersection of eachof saidend faces with each of said hypotenuse faces forming a right angle'withedges-of said hypotenuse faces.

1. The panel according to claim 2 in which some of said plurality "oftriangular members are provided with =alongitudina1groove on each sideof their isosceles :faces and at least one resilient gripping meansadapted :to engage the grooves in the triangular members of a pairo'fpanels arranged backto back with their corresponding key members alignedand oppositely disposed to 'each other.

"5. "Ihe-panel'accordingto claim'4 in which the resilient gripping-means comprises a unitary structure'having'oppositely disposedprongs,each comprising a pair of re- :silient legs, the end of each legbeing-adapted to cooperate 'gr'ippin'gly with the'longitudinal grooveson the isosceles side of each triangular member.

'6. "In a rectangular building wall section for building construction,the combination including a rectangular panel comprising a structuralsheathing material and a series of longitudinal triangular key membershaving cross section the shape of a right isosceles triangle securedattheirhypotenuse faces to one surface of said sheathing materialadjacent to and'around the peripheral edges thereof, the-peripheraltriangular members having end faces forming substantially right angledjoints at the corners of the panel and wall locating key members ofsubstantially the same configuration as said triangular key members andjoined to said members with an isosceles face of each of the locatingkey members secured to and abutting an isosceles face of the peripheralkey members, whereby the hypotenuse face of each of said locating keymembers is substantially at right angles to the plane of the structuralsheathing material.

7. In a rectangular building wall section for building construction, thecombination inoluding a pair of rectangular panel members oppositelydisposed with their flat faces parallel to each other, each of saidoppositely disposed faces having triangular key members of cross sectioncorresponding to a right isosceles triangle, the hypotenuse face of saidkey members being secured adjacent the peripheral edges of each panel sothat the apex of one key member of one panel opposes and is adjacent theapex of a key member of the other panel the members about the peripheryhaving end faces forming right angled joints at the corners, and alocating key member of substantially the same shape and cross sectionbetween the oppositely disposed key members, the isosceles sides of theholding key member being fastened to and abutting the isosceles side ofeach of the opposed key members, whereby the hypotenuse face of thelocating key member is at substantially right angles to the plane ofeach of the panels.

8. A corner section of a pair of rectangular building walls for buildingconstruction in which a vertical edge of a first structural rectangularsheet abuts at right angles the vertical edge of a second rectangularsheet,

each of said structural sheets having secured adjacent.

and along their respective abutted edge the hypotenuse face of anelongated triangular strip having in cross section shape of a rightisosceles triangle, the isosceles face of one of said strips abuttingthe isosceles face of the other of said strips, the other isoscelesfaces being disposed in the same plane, and means secured to theisosceles faces lying in the same plane to secure the corner formed bysaid sheets.

9. A corner section comprising a double wall structure for buildingconstruction and having outer and inner walls, the outer wall comprisingtwo rectangular sheet members abutting each other at a vertical edge atsubstantially right angles, each of said sheets having secured theretoadjacent and along its inner respective abutted edge the hypotenuse faceof an elongated triangular strip having in cross section the shape of aright isosceles triangle, an isosceles face of one of said strips of onepanel being parallel to and abutting an isosceles face of the strip ofthe other panel, the remaining isosceles faces of the abutted stripsbeing disposed in substantially the same plane, a block of structuralmaterial having one of two parallel faces secured across said isoscelesfaces lying in the same plane, an inner wall spaced from said outer walland parallel thereto also comprising two rectangular sheet membersabutting each other at a vertical edge at right angles, said each sheetof the inner wall having secured adjacent and along the abutted edgesfacing the outer wall the hypotenuse face of a triangular member of thesame configuration as said elongated triangular member, an isoscelesface of each triangular .member inner walls abutting and being securedto the other parallel face of the structural block integral with theisosceles faces of the triangular members of the outer wall structure.

10. A rectangular type frame for an opening in a wall for buildingconstruction having side and top members whose outer surfaces aresubstantially perpendicular to said wall when used in cooperationtherewith, each of said outer surfaces having secured thereto thehypotenuse face of an elongated triangular member of cross sectioncorresponding to a right isosceles triangle, the triangular membersbeing end faced at the jointed corners at an intersection of said endface with the hypotenuse face forming right angles with the edgesdefining said hypotenuse face, thereby forming substantially rightangled joints. 7

11. A system of construction for a flat smooth boundary surface definingone side of a space to be enclosed comprising a plurality of abuttingrectangular panels on said surface and supporting members for saidpanels with holding means interposed between said supporting members andsaid panels, each of said panels having fastened along and near each ofits boundary edges elongated triangular key members of right angledisosceles cross section, said triangular members being fastened at theirhypotenuse faces with the isosceles side receding from the boundary edgeat an angle of 45 to the plane of the panel, the interposed holdingmeans comprising triangular members of the same right angledconfiguration as said key members with their hypotenuse faces fastenedto said supporting members and with one of the isosceles faces thereofabutting and secured to one of the isosceles faces of said key panelmember.

12. An article of manufacture adapted to form a rectangular verticalwall in cooperation with ceiling and floor members comprising areinforced rectangular panel having triangular ribs adjacent and aboutthe periphery thereof forming right angled joints at the corners, saidribs being fastened at their hypotenuse faces to said panel and having aright angled isosceles cross section, each of the end faces forming thecorners being cut at an angle .of 45 to the plane of the hypotenusefaces of each member, the line of intersection of each end face with thehypotenuse face being at right angles to the edges defining thehypotenuse face, and intermediate ribs of thesame triangularconfiguration fastened at their hypotenuse faces across said panel andspaced apart from each other at a distance corresponding to standardstudding spaces, said intermediate ribs having mitered end faces makingan angle of with the hypotenuse face thereby to form right angled jointswith the isosceles faces of the members adjacent the periphery of thepanel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,362,764 Warner et al. Dec. 21, 1920 1,514,577 Burrell Nov. 4, 19242,091,415 Mauser Aug. 31, 1937 2,332,732 Laucks Oct. 26, 1943 2,453,326Lambert Nov. 9, 1948 2,453,918 Jansen Nov. 16, 1948 2,486,709 Friday etal Nov. 1, 1949 2,505,902 Madger May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,014 GreatBritain 1890 388,290 France May 26, 1908 229,107 Switzerland Dec. 16,1943

